Lodging · Arthur's Pass National Park
A six-bunk hut above the gorge, for serious alpine trampers.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arthur's Pass Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Arthur's Pass National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Waimakariri Falls Hut is a basic six-bunk backcountry hut at about 1,300 m in the upper Waimakariri basin, perched above Waimakariri Falls. It suits experienced trampers and climbers planning a remote alpine stay, not a quick stop at the waterfall. The hut sits in an alpine meadow below steep red cliffs, with the river gorge just beneath it.
There are six bunks with foam mattresses, a rainwater tank, solar lighting, and an outside long-drop toilet. The beds are not bookable and are first come, first served, so a place to sleep is not guaranteed. A rainwater tank is available, but confirm whether the water is treated before drinking. This is a basic self-catering hut.
A swing bridge spans the gorge just below the hut. The current hut was built in 1963 to replace an earlier bivouac built in 1944, and was refurbished in 2005. The upper basin also serves as a base for serious climbs, including nearby Carrington Peak and Mount Rolleston.
Wildlife
982 sightingsKeaMost seen around noonSighting map
39 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
190 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
20 sightingsKākāMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
15 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Arthur's Pass. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateBealey Valley Track2.4 km · 1.3 hr · 5.7 km awayA boulder gorge and a snowgrass clearing framed by Mt Rolleston.
EasyLake Misery Track1.1 km · 25 min · 5.8 km awayA wetland connector, not a standalone loop.
ChallengingCoral Track3 km · 4 hr · 5.9 km awayA steep climb to treeline above the Bealey Valley.
EasyDobson Nature Walk1.2 km · 30 min · 5.9 km awayAlpine flowers and mountain views in a quick out-and-back.
ChallengingTemple Basin Track4.2 km · 3 hr · 5.9 km awaySteep zigzags lead to a tussock basin and alpine ski lodges.
ChallengingScotts Track to Avalanche Peak7.1 km · 7 hr · 6.1 km awayA steep, exposed climb from forest to a narrow alpine summit.
ModerateOtira Valley Track3.4 km · 2 hr · 6.1 km awayA rocky alpine walk to a footbridge under Mount Rolleston.
ChallengingMount Aicken Track3.1 km · 3 hr · 6.2 km awayA steep, rooty climb to Mount Aicken's bushline and back.
Lodging · 3.7 km awayCrow HutA remote 10-bunk hut beneath Mount Rolleston’s Crow face.
Sight · 4.8 km awayAvalanche PeakA serious climb for an expansive Southern Alps panorama.Sight · 5.6 km awayBealey ChasmA five-minute walk brings you to the Bealey River's boulder-cut chasm.
Lodging · 5.7 km awayCarrington HutA 36-bunk base for a demanding tramp into remote river country.
Sight · 5.8 km awayJacks HutA rare roadman’s cottage makes the pass road’s working past tangible.Sight · 5.9 km awayDobson MemorialA tall obelisk remembers surveyor Arthur Dobson at the pass.
Sight · 6 km awayBridal Veil Falls LookoutA forest walk to distant falls, peaks and village views.
Sight · 6.4 km awayAvalanche Creek WaterfallQuick village stop; take the steep spur for a closer waterfall view.Parkwolf’s Arthur's Pass ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
